Goal For The Green

With oil now in excess of $135 a barrel, there seems little likelihood of any kind of quick turnaround. In fact, it appears we may as well get use to it.  After all, many European countries, Ireland and the UK have been seeing prices of $8-$10 a gallon for awhile now. So, by the 4th of July, it will will be $5 a gallon, and by Labor day $6, with no end in sight.

By doing the basic math, we have much to complain about. Yes, oil prices are high, however, paying for gas is still the cheapest cost of operating a car. With the price of everything going up, we should be complaining more about the lack of purchasing power our money has. We want the Feds to “do something.” What good does it do to complain?  They are responsible for degrading our currency.  The dollar falls, oil prices go up and the politicians have a hay-day trying to deflect criticism. They clamor about the “windfall profits” the oil companies are making, but do nothing to decrease our dependency on foreign oil. Let’s face it the pain at the pump and in our wallets is bound to get a lot worse. 

Has public interest waned about the environmental movement?  Have worries about inflation, the high cost of energy, the war, and the general pace of global events, wiped out public concern about the environment?  I doubt it.  But those (the government) we want to take action – AREN’T.

How soon we forget the first Earth Day. It was April 22, 1970. It became the awakening of the Environmental Decade.  We became concerned and aware about the deterorization and crucial issues that affect all life forms on our planet.  We took notice of our mindless disappation of our resources. We paid attention to our wasteful consumption habits, and how those habits affect the natural environment.

Our oil consumption was high in the 70’s. Our own U.S. oil production declined and by 1973 -36% of our energy consumption was in foreign oil. The OPEC cartel was the cause of the rising oil prices then, as it is now.  The Mideast Oil Crisis was the onset of the international oil embargo. It brought panic to our nation. The Mideast oil producing nations, cut off exports of petroleum to many Western Nations, including the U.S. and the Netherlands. They were angry over our involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflicts.

Then as it is now, there were high consumption levels and panic stricken people.  Oil prices skyrocketed to what would equal about $2.80 a gallon today. There were lines at gas stations. People blamed the government, the gas companies, the Arabs and the embargo.  It wasn’t even the price so much. The people were willing to pay the price, but there was an actual “shortage.” Gas stations would run out of gas to pump. Some even went out of business.  The oil embargo lasted six months and was over in March of 1974.  Project Independence was created in hope of freeing the U.S. completely from our dependence on foreign oil by 1980.

For years we have been aware of alternative energy sources.  Still today, we are more dependant on foreign oil than we were in the 70’s.  The oil shortage and embargo of 1973, created an growing awareness, that changed our views on energy useage.  It led people to choose economical solutions and make wiser personal choices about their energy consumption. It became popular to use less fossil- fuel, and pay more attention to how much we consumed.  The difference is today, we have no choice. We are being forced to make changes.

You don’t have to spend a dime on cleaners and solvents, to do your Spring cleaning.  There are products in your kitchen or pantry right now, that will do the job nicely, and in an earth friendly way.

Most household cleaners, fall into the acid or alkaline region on a pH scale.  The scale ranges from 1-14, with 7 being the pure or neutral (like water) region.  Acidic solutions fall below 7, while the alkaline solutions are on the up side of the scale.  Cleaners that rank on the high end of the alkaline scale are considered caustic, and the very acidic cleaners are corrosive.  Usually, areas that are soiled with grease and oil are best treated with alkaline cleaners.  This is because alkaline cleaners work by separating heavy soil and grease from surfaces and fabric, so they can be easily blotted up, or rinsed away.  The most common alkaline cleaners are sudsy ammonia, borax, chlorine bleach, detergents and soaps, TSP (trisodium phosphate) and washing soda.

Common acidic cleaners, are white vinegar, lemon juice, commercial rust removing products, and metal cleaners that remove tarnish and corrosion.  These cleaners work best on particulates (such as smoke) and in hard water areas where lime scales are formed by calcium and magnesium deposits.

For kitchen clean-up, nothing more than 2 Tablespoons of Bleach to a gallon of  water and a few drops of your dish washing detergent, is all that is needed for sparkle and disinfecting.  For your copper bottomed pans, take half of a lemon dipped in table salt and work it like a scrubber on the pan.  Ketchup and table salt, also works well.  Wash and dry, and your pans will look like new.

My favorite, around the house cleaners, are white vinegar and baking soda. White vinegar is great for cleaning anything, from your coffee pot to windows, sinks, bathrooms and chrome fixtures.  It works well, at removing mineral deposits and stains. When paired with baking soda it will bubble, but works wonderfully well for cleaning out your oven and drip pans, if you don’t have a self cleaning oven.  For best results, just let sit over night. Its much better, than the fumes from oven cleaning products. Proper ventilation, should always be used, when using commercial cleaners, as some can cause burns to the skin, and shouldn’t even be breathed. Baking soda, is both gentle and powerful, and has many uses like removing odors and fruit juice stains, and as a mild abrasive in other cleaning applications.

When it comes to making home made cleaners, it is by far more, the economical choice. Most recipes make about a gallon, and you probably already have the ingredients on hand.  For pennies, you can make your own, and there is no waste.

If you prefer to buy ready made cleaners, look for brands such as Ecos, Simple Green, and the new line of green cleaners from Clorox, just to name a few earth friendly alternatives.

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